CHICAGO — The Rev. Timothy M. Graham, Fort Wayne, Ind., was elected June 8 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Indiana-Kentucky Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, June 7-9 at the Crowne Plaza Louisville Airport Expo Center in Louisville, Ky.

Graham was elected on the fifth ballot, with 206 votes. The Rev. Adrianne M. Meier, senior pastor of St. Thomas Lutheran Church, Bloomington, Ind., received 110 votes.

The bishop-elect has served Messiah Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne, first as an associate pastor (2010-2015) and then as senior pastor (2015 to present). Previously he was pastor of Light of the Cross Lutheran Worship Center in Fort Wayne (2007-2010).

Graham earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne in 2001 and a Master of Divinity from Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, in 2007. Wartburg is one of seven ELCA seminaries.

He will take office Sept. 1 and be installed Oct. 12 (location to be determined).

The Rev. William O. Gafkjen, who has served as synod bishop since 2010, will be retiring.

About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:

The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 3 million members in more than 8,600 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.

After graduating from Wartburg Theological Seminary in 2007, I received a dual call. The first and primary call was as a redevelopment pastor to Grace Lutheran Church/Light of the Cross (LOTC) in Fort Wayne -- the same church my father was called to in 1976 – and the second call was to Messiah Lutheran Church as an Associate Pastor.

We built some meaningful community at LOTC. However, sadly, we celebrated the holy closure of LOTC at the end of 2009.

In March 2010, Messiah called me to serve full-time as the Youth and Family Pastor. In 2014, I was called as the Interim Senior Pastor, and then in May 2015, I was unanimously called to Messiah as the Senior Pastor.

Some highlights from 17 years at Messiah include:

-An amazing staff and church leadership that fully supported me

several international, domestic, and local mission trips with our youth and one international trip with a couples’ group.

-The restructuring of our governance to an “Accountability Model.”

-Transitioned preschool to childcare with infant care.

-A $2.3 million Capital and Building Renovation campaign without any debt.

-A new culture focusing on hospitality to the stranger where “Everyone means anyone, and anyone means everyone.”

I was adopted in Iowa as an infant, and named Timothy Mark Graham by my father and mother, the late Rev. Vernon Graham and Ellen Graham, while they were at Wartburg Theological Seminary. I have three sisters, Dawn (Tom) Starks, Kristina Alderdice (deceased, 2016), and Melissa (Stacy) Curry and several nieces and nephews.

My wife Meme (Michelle) and I met in high school and were married in January 1992. We have four adult children – Sashelle Rose and fiancé Alex Knight, Timothy Graham Jr., Larraine Graham and husband (Cody) Williamson, and Robert Graham – and they all reside in Fort Wayne. We also have seven grandchildren – Jaylen, Maleyah, Michelle, Noelle, Elias, Graham, and Greyson.

Meme and I love traveling, especially to beaches! Our favorite place is the Dominican Republic, and Hilton Head Island is a close second! I also enjoy watching movies (big Marvel fan), smoking BBQ, and reading thriller mystery novels. And I love an array of music. My favorite artists include Luther Vandross, Elvis Presley, Marvin Gaye, and Christopher Cross. 

Rev. Tim Graham

Bishop-Elect, IN-KY Synod 

If you weren't at church on Sunday, May 19, 2024, or did not pick up a 25th Anniversary Commemorative mug and would like one, extras are located on the credenza in the Narthex. Please help yourself! A wonderful pen and pad of paper is also located inside the mug!

The Rev. Paulette Stahlke has been appointed by Bishop Gafkjen to serve as the Pastor of Record for Christ Lutheran Church, effective June 1, 2024.

During the time of pastoral transition, the congregation may be served by a Pastor of Record or an Interim Pastor. The Pastor of Record is appointed by the bishop or synod staff member,

and is normally the pastor of a neighboring ELCA congregation. The Pastor of Record is

required to be in attendance at all council and congregational meetings during the vacancy (as their schedule allows), and is available for such things as hospital calls, crisis situations, funerals, etc.

Thank you, Pastor Stahlke, for saying "yes" to this appointment.

When a Pastor of Record is used, pulpit supply must be secured by the congregation during the transition. Tom Dearchs was tasked by the Congregation Council to secure Pastors/Deacons from the Synod Pulpit Supply List. At this point, most Sundays are covered through the end of 2024.

Church Women United will have a noon luncheon at Cross America in the Doubting Thomas Cafe on Monday, July 8. Following lunch, we will be mailing crosses for about an hour. Please see Elaine for details. More information will be available on the bulletin board soon.

--Elaine Newman

Would you like to participate in a group that is dedicated to prayer? Is the current group meeting at an inconvenient time for you? If you want to be a part of prayers for God’s people and church, please talk to Dee Ann. We can adjust the meeting time if we need to.

--Dee Ann Daniels

The delegates from Christ Lutheran Church at this year's Assembly were Lucas Bowley and Elaine Newman. Lucas has prepared a report on the Assembly. Please click the link below to read his report. Thanks, Lucas!

06/05/2024

Current Checkbook Balance: $27,644.67

Less Committed Expenses Pending: $585.00

Less Special Purpose Giving: $19,699.26

Money Available to pay routine bills: $5,466.42

Current Special Purpose Gifts:

Altar Flowers: $380

Fine Arts: $8,226

Food Pantry: $201

Memorial Gifts: $6,116

WELCA: $814

Choral Scholar Fund: $3,250

Bathroom Remodeling: $692

Other Current Fund Availability: $2,886.05 Savings, $10,000 CD

Mission Endowment Fund: $31,544.67 Investments ($21,588 Permanently Restricted)

Wilson Gift Fund Availability: $1,822.79 Wilson Money Market, $2,700.00 Wilson Checking, $153,000 Wilson CD's

(Wilson expenditures are authorized jointly by the Wilson family and the church council.)

Plans are for Christ's Cupboard to move on to Samaritan Love Center tomorrow. They will be

delighted with what they find. When I contacted the folks they said they are so very appreciative of our support. No doubt the Kokomo community is also when they visit the larger pantry on Wednesdays.

Until Tuesday, Kroger has their pasta sauce for $1.49 and the pasta to go with it for $.99 when you buy any combination of 6 items. As you will recognize, the shelves will look very empty soon. Starting over, any pantry items will be needed.

--Nancy Macaluso

Click the link below for detailed information about our current Restroom Remodeling Project. Printed copies of the document are located on the credenza in the Narthex.

Have you considered the online giving option? Here are some of the advantages:

Advantages of Vanco Electronic Giving:

1. No paper envelopes and checks to be processed.
2. Giving is much more private.
3. Minimizes Sunday morning counting and bank trips.
4. Florida snowbirds don’t have to send physical checks in the mail.
5. Credit/Debit cards are a second option to direct bank-to-bank transactions if desired.
6. Specialized giving such as ‘Furnace Fund’ can be easily set up to avoid the hassle of separate checks or cash for miscellaneous giving.
7. You have complete control of starting/stopping/changing as you wish.
8. A history of your giving is directly available through the Vanco app without having to check with the Financial Secretary.
9. Money is transferred to our church checking account in a matter of 1-2 days rather than a week or two after the fact.

If you are ready to make the change from paper, please speak with Jerre Fercho or Bob Howell. They will be happy to talk with you about the advantages and get you set up! 

We thank everyone for what has been given to date and appreciate all efforts made to stay current.



Thank you!

President: Dee Ann Daniels (2024)

e: deeanndaniels@mac.com | c: (574) 702-1921

Vice President: Jill Howell (2025)

e: jillhowell56@gmail.com | c: (765) 860-7949

Secretary: Amy Russell (2025)

e: amy_russell_55@hotmail.com | c: (765) 480-4241

Lenore Kane (2026)

e: lenoreskan@outlok.com | c: (765) 513-7736

Rudy Obermeyer (2025)

e: rudyobermeyer@yahoo.com | c: (765) 480-5871

Mona Swinehart (2026)

e: monaswineh@aol.com | c: (765) 480-9464

Kevin Yeager (2026)

e: kevin.yeager@comcast.net | c: (765) 244-1017

Financial Secretary: Bob Howell (appointed)

e: mhowell55@gmail.com | c: (765) 860-8446

Treasurer: Peter Kane (appointed)

e: peterfkane@outlook.com | c: (765) 513-5075

Rev. Paulette Stahlke (ex officio) - Pastor of Record

e: stahlkepaulette@gmail.com | h: (765) 552-8023

The Church Council Members and Parish Staff would be happy to talk with you at any time regarding Christ Lutheran Church and its mission in the world.

Christ Speaks, We Listen, We Share

Please click the purple-colored button below for the Worship Assistant Schedule for June. If you are unable to serve, please obtain a substitute and notify the church office. Thanks!

The 2024 flower chart has arrived and is hanging in the Narthex. The flower cost is $22.50 per vase or two for $45. You will notice that there has been a $5 increase in cost beginning in 2024. Like everything else, the cost has gone up a little. Please sign-up today. Eternal Candles remain at $18 per month.

Event Scheduling | Weekly eNews

A 2024 calendar is located on the counter in the Office Work Room. Please list events, meetings, etc., on this calendar so that scheduling of events can take place and conflicts do not occur. You will notice a "red" checkmark beside the events to indicate that they have been transferred to Tom's calendar as well as the churchwide calendar. Thank you for your assistance.